


Stories Among Many

by clysmian



Category: FFXIV, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 11:24:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16722426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clysmian/pseuds/clysmian
Summary: Slowly-growing collection of ficlets featuring mine and my friends' WoLs.





	1. Chapter 1

“... You have really nice lips.”

If Kane had been drinking something, he would have probably spit just now.

He turns to look down at Yvae with an expression that makes it clear he’s taken aback by her comment. The young woman looks up at him, chin resting in her hand. The sea breeze gently blows through her spiky bangs swaying in front of her right eye, which should obstruct her vision some, but she keeps her gaze locked on him despite it.

“What’s that, all of a sudden?” Kane retorts with a forced scoff, trying to hide any nervous hints in his voice. Are Xaela simply not as socially subtle as Raen tend to be? Even after knowing Sain for quite some time, Kane had never imagined that he’d one day face  _ this  _ sort of honest bluntness - especially not from a woman, given how he was raised to view them as demure and delicate. And Yvae is anything but those things.

“Just stating facts,” Yvae shrugs dismissively, but keeps her gaze fixed. Her lips curl into a smirk as she takes it a step further. “I bet you make all the ladies swoon when you kiss them.”

He stiffens, feeling a familiar heat under his skin that tells him he might start sweating soon. As much as he’d like to play it smooth and brag, he can’t seem to find it in him to be untruthful. “Actually…”

“... Or guys? Either way, I won’t judge.”

“No, that’s not-” Closing his eyes, he holds back a groan. He doesn’t fault her for being… open-minded, but the notion that maybe she hasn’t picked up on any of his cues is what frustrates him. “... I don’t… go around kissing people like that.” She raises an eyebrow, and for a moment he has to wonder if maybe her own bluntness renders her unable to detect subtlety. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he turns to look back at the sun setting over the ocean. “That is to say… I’ve never… had that experience to begin with.”

Yvae’s eyes widen and she straightens up, hands gripping the railing as if she needed to stabilize herself upon hearing that confession. “Wha- You mean you’ve never kissed before? Ever?!”

Sigh. Maybe admitting to that was a bad idea. Kane finds himself really hoping that the sunset hues at least help to conceal his ashamed flush.

“I…” Yvae calms herself a little, bringing a hand to her chest. “Sorry, I just… kind of figured - handsome and charming guy like you, I thought you’d have at least kissed a few people.” She pauses, then stammers in an attempt to add to her statement, to try and smooth things over before she insults him any further. Unfortunately for her, she can’t seem to formulate any actual words.

Kane can’t decide if he should be frustrated with her, for her nosiness and apparent thick skull, or if he should be endeared by her clumsy stammering. Either way, he goes from pinching the bridge of his nose to full-on facepalming.

“... But really, though, did the opportunity just never come up? Or…” Yvae trails off, realizing she’s digging herself a deeper hole. “Gods, I’m sorry, I--”

Okay, that’s enough.

“Maybe it’s because,” Kane interrupts; his throat feels parched all of a sudden, and he wets his lips before continuing. “... Because I was waiting for the right person.”

Yvae’s expression shifts as realization dawns upon her, turning to look back at the sea. “Oh… I see now.”

But Kane doesn’t stop there, and he’s not sure if it’s the best idea anymore - but dammit, he started his thought, and he’s going to finish it… even though it comes out rather meekly. “... someone like you.”

He counts the number of second it takes for Yvae to react; at first, he thinks maybe she just didn’t hear him, but he soon realizes that she’d been stunned into silence. She slowly turns her head back to him, eyes widening incredulously. “What?” From her tone, he can tell that she heard him loud and clear.

The Raen is sure not even the sunset can conceal the redness of his cheeks anymore, and he’s almost tempted to turn away from her entirely. But he steels himself, if a little awkwardly, and glances down to see her expression. He’s torn between feeling satisfied at being able to draw such a face from her, or being terrified of the possible consequences. This evening is shaping up to be a long series of internal struggles, it seems.

After a prolonged moment of silence, Yvae chortles, bringing a hand to her mouth to try and stifle her giggling. “Ahahah, good one! Really smooth. You almost had me there.”

… Is she for real?

Kane turns to face her fully now, maybe a little more brusquely than he intended. “Yvae, I’m not--”

“Anyway, if you’ve never kissed before… would you be open to it now?”

He hadn’t expected an interruption, and especially not that, of all things. His moment of silence is followed by stammering until he manages to blurt out an actual word. “What?”

“You know… kissing. I can show you how it’s done. I mean, of course, if you’re alright with it, that is.”

Is it just him, or does it feel like Yvae seems ready to backpedal any minute now?

He could deliberate on what his feelings are doing for a whole lifetime, it feels, but something in him tells him he needs to seize this chance. No more subtlety, no more hoping she’ll notice his small gestures and pick up on his cues.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

The Xaela blinks, apparently taken aback by his sudden agreement. From Kane’s point of view, he assumes she wasn’t expecting him to agree at all, and that being proved wrong flusters her somewhat. “I… wow. Alright.” And gods dammit, it’s really cute. “Then… um, could you… sit down or something?”

Oh. Right. He’s not sure why he hadn’t thought of that first. It’s not like he was expecting her to climb him… although honestly, he wouldn’t exactly put that sort of thing past her.

Despite Yvae being rather tall for an Auri woman, there’s still a significant disparity between their heights. Kane braces himself with one hand on the railing as he lowers himself to a knee; Yvae steps forward and sets her hands on his shoulders. It seems he may need to tilt his head back just a little for their faces to meet properly.

In this position and this context, Kane is now acutely aware of… well, everything about Yvae. The way her horns curve to frame her face, midnight scales reflecting truly fascinating colors against the sunset, strands of peachy pink hair swaying gently in the breeze; light silver eyes focusing on him, framed with golden limbal rings glowing brightly against the darkening colors of the evening. The delicate curve of her nose. Her thick eyelashes. And her dark lips, full and just somewhat pouty, recently moisturized and looking oh so terribly inviting--

“Okay,” she says with a hushed tone softer than he’s ever heard her use before, “Just relax. I’ve got you.”

Before he can even process it all, she closes the distance between their faces as she presses her lips against his, being mindful of how to angle their horns. She closed her eyes, so he figures he should do the same; in doing so, he finds himself concentrating more on all his other senses. Her lips are soft and plush, and he’s fairly sure he tastes cinnamon on them. She feels so warm, so close to him, and he’s not really sure what to do - can he touch her? How does he reciprocate something like this? Oh gods, what if he’s disappointing her--

Yvae pulls away all too soon, and it takes a few seconds for Kane to open his eyes again. She smirks at him as she speaks again. “Congratulations on your first kiss, Mr. Irie.”

He’s not ready for this to end just yet.

Before she can step away from him, he brings a hand to her shoulder. Yvae stops all movement, looking at him curiously, but she can’t quite gauge his expression when he lowers his gaze for a moment while he gathers his thoughts. Or rather, his courage.

“Yvae…” Her name passes his lips so softly, so fondly; he doesn’t think he’s ever heard himself speak like this before. “... May I ask for… another?”

He assumes she’s once again stunned into silence, and he finds himself really hoping he didn’t say something wrong - is he pushing his luck? Does she not like him as much as he dared to hope she did? No way, surely she has bigger fish to fry. Why would she waste her time with someone like…

“Sure.”

Kane looks up at her again and… is that a trick of the light, or is there a hint of a blush on her cheeks? It’s always hard to tell with her dark skin tone, but he could swear her body just got a little bit warmer. Her smile fades and her gaze softens into something he’s not sure he’s ever really seen before. Once he swallows a small lump in his throat, he feels something spark in his chest. He’s not sure how to describe it, but it doesn’t really matter. Slowly, he winds an arm around her waist and pulls her closer, bringing his free hand to the back of her neck.

In just a short moment, Kane leans in and meets Yvae’s lips halfway. He has no idea if he’s doing this right, but… right now, it  _ feels _ right. He threads his fingers through her short hair, and she responds by moving her hands from his shoulders to the sides of his neck, then up to cup his face. Feeling her fingertips against his cheeks, calloused as they are, is electrifying. Ramuh’s levinbolts would probably feel significantly less impressive in comparison. Testing the waters, he moves his lips against hers, which she responds to in kind. That’s a good sign, isn’t it? One of her hands travels to the back of his head, tangling itself in his soft, fluffy locks. Their lips part for just an instant, long enough for them to suck in a breath, and then they reconnect. Yvae moves closer against him… uh oh, is that her chest against his? Kane’s lips part in surprise at the unexpected (but welcome) contact when another unexpected thing happens: Yvae seizes this opportunity to run her tongue over his lips. He finds it odd, but also… exhilarating. He tilts his head as he presses in again, and this time the proximity of her mouth to his horns make it impossible to miss the muffled moan she voices against his lips.

Oh no. He’s getting really worked up. His self-control tells him that this is where they should stop, lest they get carried away.

His hand explores her back, and once he sets it firmly on her kidneys, just a little above her tail, she makes another sound, this time more high-pitched and breathy as she momentarily parts from his lips.

Dammit all. That sound is doing ungodly things to him, and he’s certain that his composure is about to crack at any moment. It most definitely does not help when she slides a hand down back down to his shoulder, then over his arm, feeling the curve of his biceps through his clothing. She presses into him again, molding her body against his, and he has to wonder if maybe he’s being tortured right now.

It’s become all but impossible to keep impure thoughts at bay anymore. He wants nothing more than to pick her up and carry her to the nearest private room, throw her down on the bed, to kiss every square inch of her body - find what really makes her tick, seeing her flushed face and disheveled hair as she breathily moans out his name from under him, to love her like the goddess she really is--

He’s so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost misses the sound coming from behind them. The two separate quickly and look over with a twinge of panic, but the coast seems clear. A squirrel, perhaps. They face each other again and let reality sink back in.

Kane takes in Yvae’s appearance. Her cheeks are flushed and her chest heaves as she catches her breath. Her eyes are a little glazed over and, most importantly, her lips are looking rather swollen.

Gods, or Kami, or whatever. She’s so beautiful, and he feels a strange sense of pride in knowing that she’s in this state because of him.

Yvae tries to recollect herself, but not without first running the pad of her thumb over Kane’s lips, similarly swollen. “They really are nice…” For whatever reason, Kane suddenly regains some sense of humility. Why now, of all times? He imagines he’s just as flushed as she is. Yvae chuckles. “Look at you now, getting so bashful…”

Quickly glancing over at the setting sun, Yvae leans away from him (much to his chagrin) and fixes his hair before patting his shoulders. “Well. That was fun.” She clears her throat, gesturing to the road back. “We should probably head back. It’ll be dark soon.”

Kane can do little more than nod a little dumbly to her suggestion as he rises to his feet. Fortunately for him, certain parts of his body seem to be behaving. They get started on the road back to the estate, the air filled with the sound of gently crashing waves and the remaining buzzing in their horns.

As they arrive, Yvae brushes her hand against his to get his attention. “Hey, just so you know…” She doesn’t look at him directly - her face seems to indicate some sort of flustered coyness, if he’s not just making stuff up. “... I’d be willing to do that again.”

He feels like he’s had the wind punched out of him and she walks off before he can give any sort of answer. He watches her leave, the way her hips and tail sway as she takes each step, the strong silhouette of her thighs accentuated by the heels of her boots, the teasing hint of her upper back provided by the collar of her shirt… and all too quickly, she disappears into another room.

Mechanically heading towards the kitchen, he replays this evening’s events in his mind. He’s not quite sure what to make of all this. He didn’t expect that today would be the day he would confess his feelings, and yet she didn’t seem to believe him. Is she just that dense, or… was she trying to let him down easily? If that’s what she considers ‘easy’.

At least… he got to experience something new, something thrilling, with the object of his affections. Guilt weighs on his lungs as he wonders if maybe she was forcing herself into it. If that’s the case, then would have she still made those lovely little sounds he heard…?

The Raen heaves a deep sigh as he washes his hands and puts on his apron. If only he could rewind time just a little, and then extend that moment a hundredfold. Or more, even. If bliss is achievable, then he swears that was the closest he’s ever been to it.

He mentally punches himself for thinking of how empty his arms feel without her in them.

“... Pull yourself together, man,” he grumbles, lightly slapping his cheeks with both hands. It won’t do him any good to get distracted by his thoughts and slice a finger off with a kitchen knife. So he wasn’t able to ascertain her feelings this time. Big deal. Surely there would be another opportunity soon… right? He hasn’t completely blown it already. Right?

Shaking his head, he makes a mental note to make her favorite breakfast tomorrow.

(Little does he know that Yvae will have a lot of serious thinking to do…)


	2. Chapter 2

Yzie never believed in gods.

Dusk Mother Nhaama? Dawn Father Azim? The kami, the Twelve? Preposterous. All of them.

The world is an ugly place. So much suffering, so many disasters and death… People slaughtering each other in the name of said gods, in the present and in the past, and inevitably in the future. Gods never helped anyone. Gods never helped her.

But when he smiles at her, everything changes.

Seeker of the Sun. A name chosen for the fact that these miqo'te are diurnal, opposite to the Keepers of the Moon. An overly flowery clan name, if she ever heard one.

But she changed her mind.

It was in the temperature of his body close to hers, the warmth of his hand her shoulder. The sunkissed shade of his skin, marred by scars in many places - testaments to the hardships he has faced, and proof that he has survived them all.

The gentleness in his one-eyed gaze, and the way he so fondly says her name. The low rumble in his chest when he chuckles. The endearing scruffiness of his dusty brown hair, the softness of his ears and his short, stubby tail. The way his lips curl into a warm smile when he turns to her.

The way he holds her against him, gently and firmly, when he can tell something is wrong. The way he always conveniently appears when she needs him… even if she won't admit it.

The way he  _ is. _

Seeker of the Sun. What a foolish name.

A'zehso already  _ is _ the sun.

And maybe, just maybe, she starts to wonder if maybe he was sent down to her by some benevolent deity.

Maybe gods aren't so bad.


End file.
